Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers headline top 20 Wooden list
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Paige Bueckers beats the halftime buzzer with a shot from just inside the half-court line. (0:33)
Former players of the year Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, as well as reigning Final Four Most Outstanding Player Angel Reese, headline the John R. Wooden Award’s late season top 20 list, it was announced Tuesday.
The top 20 candidates for the Wooden Award, given annually to the most outstanding player in college basketball.
The award is given annually to the most outstanding player in college basketball.
The top 20 also includes three freshmen: Texas’ Madison Booker, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and USC’s JuJu Watkins.
Virginia Tech (Georgia Amoore and Elizabeth Kitley), UConn (Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards), South Carolina (Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao) and LSU (Reese and Aneesah Morrow) are each represented by multiple players.
The list is rounded out by Lauren Betts (UCLA), Cameron Brink (Stanford), Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana), Ta’Niya Latson (Florida State), Ayoka Lee (Kansas State), Alissa Pili (Utah), Jacy Sheldon (Ohio State) and Jaylyn Sherrod (Colorado). Clark earned the award last year, while Bueckers took it home in 2021, when she was the first freshman to ever win the honor.
A national ballot of 15 players will be released later in February. Voters will then choose a 10-player All-American Team, and the Wooden Award winner later in the spring.